Special Eight-Week Series:
Calm in the Storm
Navigating rough waters in faith
Week 4: Light in the Darkness
by, Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director
What is happening on the front lines among immigrants in the Mission Adelante community? This is a question that many of our friends and partners have asked during the current crisis. To better answer this question and to know how best to respond, Mission Adelante conducted a survey of Wyandotte County residents, gathering data from over 300 respondents during the first week of Kansas City’s stay-at-home order. The results were eye-opening and highlighted the intense challenges vulnerable communities face. These two observations stood out:
A staggering 85% of immigrant families had lost income by the first week of the shut-down. The number for native-born families was 53%.
Only 21% of immigrant families had health insurance for all members of their families. This compared to 67% of native-born respondents.
Yolanda, Yanelis, and Bernabe at our annual retreat.
In the midst of these challenges, there are bright lights beaming in our community. Yolanda is one of those bright lights. Her faith, tested through the fire of many previous trials, has produced a kind of steadfastness and resilience that shine in times like these. Last week, during a Google Hangouts meeting with our church community, Yolanda’s words of truth and encouragement stood out as a beautiful example of faithfulness and peace. “I was reading in Psalms this morning”, she said. “I don’t remember which verse it was, but it said something like this, ‘En paz me acostaré y así mismo dormiré, porque solo tu Dios me haces vivir confiado.’” Yolanda had quoted Psalm 4:8, and her words were just what I needed to hear personally. Her sense of peace revealed a depth of faith that had been seasoned through walking with Christ in many difficult situations.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” - Psalm 4:8
During a time when my own sense of peace seems to swing back and forth several times each day, the Lord showed me once again how blessed I am to live and participate in this community of people from all places. As a pastor and ministry leader, I’m working to shepherd and care for the small flock the Lord has entrusted to me during this time. But, the beauty of this is that I am also part of a community whose vibrant faith encourages and lifts me up when I’m down.
Enjoy this song about Psalm 4:8 by Daniel Calveti
